Hate Crimes Targeting People With Disabilities Remain Steady

The number of hate crimes committed against persons based on disability remained steady in 2008 even as the total number of hate crimes rose, according to FBI data released Monday.

Of the 9,691 victims of hate crimes reported to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program in 2008, 85 or about 1 percent were targeted based on a disability. Of those, 57 victims were targeted because of a mental disability, while 28 had a physical disability.

In 2007, 84 victims of hate crimes were targeted because of a disability.

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Last month it became a federal offense to commit a crime against a person based on their disability after President Barack Obama signed expanded hate crimes legislation.

Under the new law, hate crimes protections extend to crimes committed based on a person’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability in addition to race, color, religion and national origin.

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